Handbrake gaiter

[Peter Douglas W]

The handbrake gaiter under the car (MK2) above the propshaft and the exhaust gave up the ghost. So each time I opened the 1/4 lights hot exhaust air streamed into the passenger compartment via the handbrake cutout in the body work. I bought a new gaiter but I cannot get the rubber over the little lip surrounding the hole. I have tried from below. Prop and exhaust in the way and from above an absolutely no go. Has anybody and ideas without taking the exhaust and propshaft off. 

[Allen Walker]

Perhaps try the same method as putting in a windscreen. Run a piece of
<br>string around the groove of the rubber grommet. Then either, from the top,
<br>thread the loose ends of the string down the hole and out the bottom of the
<br>car. Go under the car and pull one end of the string, forcing the lip through
<br>the hole in a circular motion while somebody applies pressure from above.
<br>Never done it, of course, but it might work. <img>

[Peter Douglas W]

Allen.
This was the type of idea I was hoping for. Even better if someone has done it.&nbsp;
It was accessibility that foiled my attempt. The rubber of the gaiter is so hard the I could not build up enough pressure to force the edge of the rubber over the lip. It looked to me that the only way I could bring enough force would be to remove the prop. and exhaust thereby&nbsp;improving the accessibility. The prop. having never been removed may be a bit of a stickler when it comes to undoing the nuts and bolts.

[Clifford Pope]

Did you solve this problem Peter?<br>
I\'ve had a replacement gaiter waiting for years and the opportunity to
replace it, and last weekend the moment arrived, with the exhaust pipe
off. The prop wasn\'t a problem.<br>
The real difficulty was that the profile of the lip between the plate
and the boywork is a thin V, whereas the gaiter has a chunky square
section that is much too thick to stay in the groove.<br>
In the end I simply punched a hole through the front end of the rubber,
and clamped it on using the front assembly bolt and a large washer.<br>
The rear is held in place by the cable. It\'s not very elegant, but it works.<br>

[Peter Douglas W]

Well I don\'t like cutting things about, so mine is still hanging loosely on the handbrake cable. I think I will have to modify the gaiter at some time.